Who Would've Thought?
by Banana2266
Summary: He spoke. Her heart changed. He defended. She cried. He came to her when she was tearing herself apart. She was someone he could talk to when he couldn't hold it in. They had needed each other all along. Who would've thought?
1. Kitchens

So...trying something new this time. I kinda decided to write separate oneshots...

That aren't long enough to be considered oneshots.

I don't know what they are...just little ideas I plucked from my brain but was unable to come up with a full story behind it.

Well, let me know if you like it!

 **Summary**

 **Before the Calamity, Link and Zelda have been getting along rather well. They stand for one another, and hello each other in whatever way they can...**

 **Kitchens**

She looked at him. He opened his mouth slightly, then shut it. He didn't open it again.

She sighed and turned away. This wasn't going anywhere. Why did she ever think that she could get _him_ of all people to speak?

"They're all watching me."

She turned to face him once again, eyes wide. Did he just…?

He was staring at the tabletop, his eyes blue and sad.

"They're all watching… And waiting."

She blinked. His voice was so… Soft. Gentle.

Beautiful.

Most warriors seemed to have a gruff, demanding voice. One that tells everyone that they've won many battles and are not to be messed with. But her knight? No...he sounded nothing of the sort.

After a few more seconds, she managed to find her own voice. "...Waiting for what?"

Her knight's eyes find hers.

They were the saddest eyes she had ever seen. which was strange, considering that these eyes had never shown such emotion before... perhaps she had never noticed it until now?

"For me to fail."


	2. Hateno

**Hateno**

The bar was full and noisy that day. The knight was told to leave the princess be, while she researched with Purah at the top of the hill, so he decided to come here.

What his ears heard in that bar that day did not please him.

They were making fun of her. Calling her a failure. Claiming that she hadn't put enough time into awakening her powers.

In front of him.

But the knight knew better. He had spent every hour watching her suffer as she tried, and tried, and tried. These people had no idea…

It hurt more than the knight thought it should. It wasn't his problem, it was the princess'. But the more the people spoke against her, the more rage filled the silent knight's head. Normally, he would expertly control these emotions. He would just stand quietly and let it pass...

But no.

He couldn't take it anymore.

A loud SMACK sounded through the room as the knight's palm descended hard onto the table.

"SHUT UP!" he cried. _"SHUT_. _UP!"_


	3. Central Hyrule

**Central Hyrule**

Running.

Running.

Running.

Wrist in hand, dragging her behind.

The castle...her castle...had fallen.

They were coming for them. Coming for the hero and the princess.

There wasn't much time.

There wasn't even much hope anymore

He felt the warmth of the princess leave his grip. He skidded to a stop immediately, and turned to find her kneeling in the muddy ground.

He knew he should pick her back up and continue running. Their lives might depend on it. But seeing how miserable she was… He just couldn't bring himself to do it. Instead, he walked over, sheathed his sword, and crouched in front of her.

"How…how did it come to this…?"


	4. Kitchens 2

**Kitchens**

"They...judge my every move. They expect nothing less than perfect from me." His voice was so soft…

She blinked again, saying nothing, waiting for him to continue.

"What if I were to mess up? To say something I shouldn't? To not follow orders?" He shut his eyes, and inhaled slowly. "It's better this way… to remain silent. Then, I'm less likely to let everyone down. Less likely to let them see the...real me. The weak me."

She couldn't stop staring at him. This was the first time he had ever spoken to her, and he straight up confesses that he's not the man everyone thinks he is?

 _So even_ he _has problems..._


	5. Unknown Location

Well, I'm very glad to know that people are liking this thing already. ;)

Read and review, plz!

* * *

 **Unknown Location**

There was no life.

" _..."_

He couldn't hear.

 _Thump..._

" _Open your eyes…"_

 _._

He couldn't feel.

 _Thump thump..._

" _Open your eyes."_

 _._

He couldn't see.

 _Thump thump… thump thump..._

" _Open your eyes."_

 _._

Water began to recede. It reached the tip of his nose, then fell below his nostrils.

He inhaled sharply.

" _Wake up Link…"_

 _Thump thump… thump thump… thump thump… thump thump..._

His heart was beating. He could _feel._ He could _hear._ He could…

His eyelids opened a crack before shutting again. He tried once more.

 _He could see._

There was a bright blue light above him. He appeared to be laying in a tub that had been holding some kind of liquid.

He decided to put his body to the test. Slowly, he pushed himself into a sitting position. He noted that the room looked rather dark, with strange patterns of the walls. He draped his legs over the edge of the tub, and placed his bare feet on the ground.

It was then that he noticed that he was clothed by nothing but a tight pair of blue shorts. Undergarments.

His mind started racing. Where was he? What was he doing here? How long has he _been_ here? Who was he?

 _Who am I?_

He couldn't remember…


	6. Central Hyrule 2

**Central** **Hyrule**

She collapsed, and he caught her.

She buried her face into his chest, and cried into his already soaked-from-the-rain tunic.

He didn't know what to do.

He didn't know what to say.

But the princess was in pain. _His_ princess was in pain.

So he wrapped his arms around her.

He held her close to his heart. Felt her move her hands around to his back, and grip onto the fabric with all of her strength.

Don't worry, princess. Hold on as tightly as you wish. I'm never letting you go.

Don't worry, Zelda...


	7. Mt Lanayru

**Mt. Lanayru**

He watched her from the little platform above the water. She was crying.

Why did it hurt so much? To see somebody else in pain?

He had always wanted to see her happy. Truly happy. But he couldn't help her feel that way if he simply stood there watching like he usually does.

So he didn't.

Ignoring all protocol, he stepped into the sacred water. Anything to reach her.

It was freezing.

He waded out to where she lamented. Approached her side, and slowly pulled her in close until her face was buried in his shoulder. She gave no objection.

The knight gazed at the smiling statue of the goddess.

"Please…" he heard, little more than a whisper. He quickly figured out that the word had come from his own lips.

"Please, your grace…" he spoke again.

What was he doing? No way would the goddess listen to such an unworthy, filthy mutt such as himself.

"Please," he repeated once more. "It's tearing her apart...I watch her… Every day… It's destroying her." He inhaled slowly, closing his eyes. "seeing her in all of this pain...I can't stand it. I'm her knight, I should be able to help her feel alive, but I can't...I can't…" he took another shaky breath. "Please give her what she has been so dedicated to receiving…" he trailed off.

The goddess statue simply smiled.


	8. Blatchery Plain

**Blatchery Plain**

"Princess…"

That soft, beautiful voice…

"Princess…" he could barely catch his breath, he was so hurt. He coughed up blood. "Run."

"What!?" She yelled. "Are you insane? I'm not leaving you behind!"

"Y-you have to…"

"No!" She took her fingers and placed them gently on top of his jawline, stroking them lightly with her thumb. "No," she repeated, her voice softened. "I am not leaving you here."

He stared, his eyes wide. "Princess... Please…"

He was pleading now.

 _She… cares for me…_

She simply shook her head.

 _But what if I care for her, too?_

An explosion from behind. Guardians. Those monsters had found them once again.

There wasn't much time...


	9. Zelda's Study

**Zelda's Study**

She stood on the bridge connecting her study and the rest of the castle. She wore her favorite royal blue dress. The one that reached past her toes and trailed behind her slightly.

He had always thought that she looked gorgeous in that dress…

But he mustn't think such thoughts. He was a mutt. A dog that exists only to take orders. He couldn't have _feelings_.

He approached her silently as normal. She had summoned him earlier, so he came. Her back was towards him.

She soon turned to meet his blue gaze.

"You came."

Of course he came. She had called.

"I was hoping to have a word with you. There's something that has been weighing on my mind for some time now."

The knight remained silent, as expected, waiting for her to continue.

"I just wanted to say that I'm sorry."

He blinked.

What? She wished to apologise? What for? And why to him?

"I haven't been treating you well ever since you became my appointed knight. I avoided you and shouted at you, and you didn't deserve any of it. I apologise."

He blinked again. His eyes drifted down, pondering over her words, before meeting her green gaze once more.

"... Princess…" he finally spoke in that soft voice. "I… Don't understand. Why must you apologise to me?"

This time it was her turn to blink.

He wasn't finished. " _I_ should be the one apologizing...I… wasn't by your side when the Yiga attacked. I should have been there… I'm sorry."

She stared. "You-..." She paused. "It's alright. You came just in time. Would would be dead if not for you. Thank you."

They stood silently before the knight spoke once more.

"You're welcome, my lady."


	10. Knights' Quarters

**Knights' Quarters**

He was trembling.

She had known that something was off. The was something unsettling about his silence, which was strange, considering that he was normally this quiet. He didn't eat his dinner that night, and not even his lunch, come to think of it. But what caught her attention the most was his eyes.

They were usually unreadable. Staring straight ahead, with nothing hiding behind them. But now…

They were sad. So sad. He was trying but failing to hide some sort of pain. They were clouded over, but at the same time, crystal clear.

She was reminded of the day that he finally spoke to her for the first time. What he said. Perhaps this pain had something to do with it?

She had had enough watching him be like this.

She knocked on the door of his tiny room among the knights' quarters. No reply. She knocked again before reaching for the knob and pushing the door open.

She saw him. He was sitting on the edge of his sorry-excuse-for-a-bed. His head was lowered, and his hair draped over most of his face, concealing it.

He was trembling.

Before she could stop herself, she wandered over to his side and crouched so that she could look up his curtain of hair. His eyes snapped open and looked in her direction. He made no other move.

She did nothing but stare up at his face, mouth frowning slightly in concern. Then she took her hand, and placed it gently over his. His hand felt rough, covered in scars and calluses.

The hand of a knight.

"What's wrong?" She finally asked, her voice low, as if speaking to loudly would shatter him.

He just stared at her with those sad, beautiful eyes. He said nothing.

She kept her eyes on him, begging, _pleading_ him to speak.

Finally, he did.

"Too much…" he said at an equal volume, if not quieter. His voice cracked. "It's too much….it...h-... _hurts_ …" her swallowed and looked down. His eyes squeezed shut as he took a shaky breath.

She stared. "Link…" she whispered. She removed her hand from his, and instead placed it on his chest.

 _Thump thump, thump thump, thump thump, thump thump._

His heart was alarmingly quick.

She stood to sit on the bed next to him, her hand never leaving his heart. Her fingers then began to trail up his neck and along his sharp jawline. She gently cupped his face, lightly stroking his cheek.

 _What was she doing?_

He looked over at her. His shaking body sat for a few moments before he collapsed altogether. He turned his entire body towards her, slumped over, and buried his face into the crook of her neck. He released his burdens, felt them lift from his exhausted form.

And he felt safe.

It was ironic. He was meant to keep the _princess_ safe. Who would have thought that it might eventually work the other way around?

The princess said nothing. She wrapped her arms around him and stroked his soft hair.

At last, she felt like she was doing something useful.


	11. Blatchery Plain 2

**Blatchery Plain**

There wasn't much time…

The knight, still gravely wounded from his last battle, stood in front of his princess. In his right hand his sword was gripped tightly. The blade was cracked and rusted. It and the knight were linked; any damage that happened to the hero, happened to the sword.

The hero was standing, but barely. His torso was covered in blood from the wounds on his chest and stomach. His left arm was shredded and burnt. There was a cut beneath his left eye. Blood was running in a thin stream down his chin, and he staggered beneath his own weight.

But he didn't care.

His princess was going to survive. He will die to make sure of it.

A guardian climbed over a pile of others like it, ones that he had defeated only minutes before. It spotted the hero and the princess.

He could feel the blood red light shining directly on his face. _Good. It's not aiming for the princess-_

"No!"

The hero was shoved aside. He looked up to see his princess step in front of him, raising her hand.

 _What are you-!?_

He was blinded by a warm, golden light.


	12. Korok Forest

**Korok** **Forest**

One by one, they dropped.

Everyone who touched it fell to the floor.

Everyone was deemed unworthy.

The Sword was not satisfied with anyone who came across it. It refused to budge, even for the strongest men.

There numbers were waning. Men collapsed unconscious, dropping like flies. And with the men, so fell hope. If they didn't find a master for the Sword soon, who knows what would happen to the kingdom?

"Hey, Worthless, you're turn!"

Worthless. That's what they called him. He was all too used to it by now.

He began to panic. They wanted him to pull the Sword? Surly just to mock him. He knew that they knew that the Sword wouldn't choose a mutt such as himself. In his fear, he tightened his jaw and quickly shook his head.

"What, too scared?"

"Yeah, too scared?"

"You scared, Worthless?"

"Afraid it will kill you, Worthless?"

"You're so worthless, Worthless!"

His fist clenched. He had no choice.

He took shaky steps up to the pedestal, and slowly gripped the hilt of the Sword. He began to pull.

Immediately, he felt something give.

His eyes widened, and the taunts of his peers died down.

He kept on pulling. It was too late to stop.

The Sword lurched again, and again, and again, slowly making its way out of the pedestal that had kept it for the past ten thousand years.

Suddenly, he fell backwards.

He landed on his rear, and flipped on the ground before coming to a complete stop, laying on his side. He sat up, stunned.

Everyone was staring at him.

 _Why?_

He looked at his right hand. He let out sharp intake of air before raising it to eye level.

"The Sword…"

"What?"

"It chose _him_?"

"It chose _him_ of all people?"

"Worthless…"

"He's nothing but a weapon."

"There's nothing more to him than being our weapon."

He barely heard them from his place on the ground. His eyes never left the hilt of the Sword, which he was holding.

Finally, he spoke. It was only a whisper.

"No…"


	13. Unknown Location 2

**Unknown Location**

She had sent him away to where he could heal. She trusted the Sheikah. She knew that they would make it to their destination safely.

But she couldn't just watch them leave without saying goodbye to him.

She met up with them at the location that they had brought him. They had already stripped him to his undergarments and laid him in the tub.

They left her in there with him. She had asked for a moment alone.

Slowly, she approached his slumbering form. She stared at his face. So peaceful. So beautiful. Her eyes fell to his shredded body. The wounds, though days old, still appeared fresh, littering his torso and limbs. She gently placed a hand on his bare chest. She felt no heartbeat, and no breathing, but what she did feel was a tiny bit of heat. He was still warm. As if he hadn't quite given up. That heat is what gave her hope. Hope that he would be okay. That he would find her again.

She exhaled slowly before leaning in close to his face. Seeing his eyes shut made her sadder than she had ever realized. She shut her own eyes, and laid her forehead against his.

"Come back to me…" she whispered. "I _need_ you…"

He didn't respond.

She took a shaky breath. "I am willing to wait for the rest of eternity for you. But please... _please_ come back to me." she pressed a soft kiss to his brow, and another to his eyelid.

She was never going to be ready to leave, but she knew that she must. She gripped his injured hand in farewell, before turning towards the door.

 _Please come back to me, Link…_


	14. Blatchery Plain 3

How about a survey?

I decided not to put this on my profile, because nobody's going to care, so I'm putting it right here.

Which of the mini chapters of Who Would've Thought Is your favorite? I'm simply curious. Leave your response in the comments, plz!

 **Blatchery Plain**

He was dying.

Her closest friend was dying.

It was all her fault. If she had worked harder to unlock her powers, this would have never happened.

He had leaped in front of her and took the hit. He stood once more to be her shield all the same. The monster of armor was coming closer, closer. It aimed.

No.

Not this time.

He will live. Link must live. Because she needs him.

"NO!"

Warmth and light erupts and blocks everything but her need to rescue the one who had already sacrificed so much to protect her...


	15. Gerudo Desert

**Gerudo Desert**

She had stormed off.

She knew that it was dangerous to wander in this area alone, but she was too furious to consider such dangers.

He had done it again. Followed her when she had wished to be alone with someone willing to listen to her. To talk to her. That was why she had privately seeked an audience with Urbosa without him.

But no. He had come after her nonetheless.

Why did he have to be so perfect at his job? She she knew she couldn't say the same about herself.

She was heading in the general direction of the Kara Kara Bazaar. It was a safe place with good fruit that she wouldn't mind trying. It could take her mind off of her jealousy and anger.

She heard a breeze, a pop, some paper fluttering.

Then a laugh.

"Huh?" She turned.

There was a man in a red skin-tight suit with a mask bearing a symbol resembling a upside down eye.

Alarm bells immediately went off in her head.

 _Yiga._

She soon found herself sprinting in the opposite direction of the man. Her life would depend on it.

She risked a glance over her shoulder. Two more Yiga had joined the first.

 _Oh, no. Please, please no…_

She tripped.

 _No, please no._

She was on the ground, and they had her surrounded.

 _Help… Help me!_

The Yiga in front of her twirled his sickle before raising it high over his head, preparing for a final blow.

She had been so foolish. If only she hadn't ran off without protection. If only she stayed at the Divine Beast. If only-

The sickle began to crash down. She screamed and turned her head away, eyes tightly closed.

The blow never came.

A slight grunt. A clash of metal. A thus.

She dared a glance in front of her, afraid if what she would see.

Blue. She saw blue.

 _Champion_ blue.

She followed the blue upward, and there he was. Determination etched into every inch of his face. The Sword was held to his side, creating a barrier between her and danger. The first Yiga man was collapsed of the ground. The other two Yiga stared dumbly at the knight.

He thrust the Sword in front of him menacingly. The Yiga winced before vanishing the same way that the first had arrived. A breeze, a pop, and some fluttering paper.

He glanced around, making sure that the danger had passed. Satisfied with what he saw, he sheathed the Sword, and turned to face behind him.

That's when it dawned on her.

 _He just saved my life..._


	16. Blatchery Plain 4

**Blatchery** **Plain**

The pain vanished suddenly.

Everything previously in his mind was forgotten. He no longer saw the Guardian Stalkers. No longer smelled the burned wood. No longer felt the rain and blood upon his skin.

All he felt was joy.

She had done it. She had finally done it.

Just like he always knew she would.

He let out a small smile before his body grew heavy. He collapsed onto his side, letting out a small grunt, closing his eyes. He faintly heard her gasp as she ran over to him. He felt her soft but firm touch on his knee and shoulder as she desperately tried to roll him into her lap. She supported his shoulders, and laid a hand on his chest.

He coughed. More blood.

"You're going to be just fine."

He opened his eyes to immediately meet two deep pools of green. Her eyes were filled with tears.

 _I'm so proud of you…_

He nearly opened his mouth to tell her, but his head and eyelids grew heavy, so he let them drop.

He felt her bury her face into his chest, his heart beating slower and slower.

That was the last he knew before all went black.


	17. Hyrule Castle

**Hyrule** Castle

Why did he suddenly feel this way?

It no longer felt like a mere duty to stand by her. Something about him… Longed to be with her…

No.

No no no no no.

He mustn't think like that. He was a _weapon_. He was a _mutt_.

He was _worthless_.

He wasn't allowed to feel this way. Shouldn't be _able_ to feel this way.

 _Stop stop stop._

Stop _it stop it._

Just _stop feeling, just stop..._


	18. Gerudo Desert 2

**Gerudo Desert**

She had stormed off.

He had been unable to stop her from running out into the desert.

Did she not realize how dangerous it was out here?

He immediately followed after her. He could see her in the distance. He wondered how she had gotten so far in such a short amount of time. She appeared to be walking at a swift pace in the direction of the Kara Kara Bazaar. The destination was safe, but the trip wasn't.

His pointed ears suddenly caught a laugh, and his sharp eyes a red figure.

Alarm bells immediately went off in his head.

 _Yiga._

They had come for the princess.

But they would never reach her. He would make sure to that.

No matter how painful it was.

He found himself sprinting towards the danger, as quickly as his legs would allow him.

He watched her trip and fall to the desert floor. The Yiga man with two other companions circled around her.

He couldn't stop himself from growling. _No, I won't let them. Not on my life._

The Yiga's sickle was raised high, ready to strike.

 _Not. On. My. Life._

He stepped between the princess and the Yiga and swung.

In that one motion, he knocked the sickle out of the Yiga's hand and killed the Yiga himself. The red man dropped to the ground.

His companions stared at him. The knight raised the Sword in front of him. The other Yiga winced, then vanished the same way the first one appeared.

The princess was safe.

He sheathed the Sword and met the princess' gaze.

She stared back, but for some reason, he couldn't find anger or frustration in those eyes.

All he could find was pure wonder.


	19. Zelda's Study 2

**Zelda's Study**

"What are you doing out here, Zelda?"

He turned towards the deep voice before kneeling and bowing his head in respect.

The king has arrived.

He could sense her tensing up from beside him.

"I…" she started. "I was assessing the results of the experiment with the guardians."

He could hear the unease in her voice. He absolutely hated it.

"These pieces of ancient technology could be quite useful against the-" she was cut off.

"I know that," said the king. "they are essential to Hyrule's future, and our research demand that we keep a close eye on them. However, as the princess, you currently have a crucial unfulfilled responsibility to your kingdom."

Oh, no. He had seen this coming.

He heard her sigh.

"Let me ask you once more...When will you stop treating this as some sort of childish game?"

She stepped slightly to her left. "I'm doing everything I can."

He agreed wholeheartedly.

"I'll have you know that I just recently returned from the spring of courage where I offered every ounce of prayer to the goddess-"

The king cut her off once more. "And now you are here wasting you're time!"

He felt his hand tighten into a ball.

"you need to be dedicating every moment you have to your training. You must be single-minded into unlocking the power that will seal Calamity Ganon away!"

 _She already is!_

"I already am. Don't you see, there's nothing more I can do!"

Her voice sounded desperate and upset.

He hated hearing her like this. Hated it so much…

"No more excuses, Zelda!" The king barked. "Stop running away from your duty. As the king, I forbid you to have anything more to do with these machines this moment on."

His face was heating up with anger, and his fist was clenched so tightly that his knuckles were turning white. He listened as the king explained how everybody thought of her as a failure. He had a backflash to the afternoon he had spent in Hateno's bar. How everybody would not stop mocking her.

 _SHUT_ _UP!_ SHUT. UP!

Those were the words he shouted at them that day. He was ready to do it again right now.

The king exited before he could say a word.


	20. King Rhoam's Study

**King Rhoam's Study**

What was he doing?

He must be insane…

No...no, no, stop this. Just walk away before you make the biggest mistake in your life-

"Enter."

He took a shaky breath. Here it goes…

He entered the room. There the king sat at his desk, looking up at him. The king blinked in confusion. He wasn't expecting to find his daughter's appointed knight standing before him like this.

He kneeled, like he had been taught to do. "Your highness…" his voice shook. What was he doing!? "A word if you may."

The king waited before speaking. "... If course. Please, rise."

He obeyed, trying not to fumble around with his hands. He couldn't show weakness.

"What is it you wish to speak with me about?" The king asked.

He inhaled, then exhaled slowly. "...It concerns your daughter."

"My daughter?"

"...Yes, highness."

What is he doing what is he doing what is he doing stop stop STOP.

"What about her?"

He met the king's eyes. "She's in pain, your highness."

The king sighed. "Go on."

Inhale. Exhale. "You… You're forcing this training on her. She understands the importance, but it's just so much. It's tearing her apart...as her appointed knight, I can't allow this to continue…"

"Are you here just to criticize me?"

"I... Your, highness, if I may… She's your daughter."

The king sighed again.

"You're her father… and yet you act nothing of the sort. You don't… Care."

"Don't care?" The king asked. "I'm pushing her so that she may live."

"Than why don't you show that to her!? You're all she has left in this lonely castle! She's your daughter, I know you love her, but she doesn't feel it, and so you aren't getting any love in return. It's possible you are aware of that, but it's just not how a father, daughter relationship should work. During hard times like these, people need to be reminded that somebody cares for them. The same goes for the princess." His eyes suddenly went wide. "I… forgive me, your highness." He bowed his head low in shame.

The king wore a shocked expression as he pondered over the young man's words.

He expected punishment for lashing out at the king. He waited for his highness to speak in that deep, harsh tone of his, sentencing him to some form of consequence for his actions.

The king finally opened his mouth, but what came out was unexpected.

"Thank you. You are dismissed."

What? Just like that? He was confused enough to raise his head. He found the king's eyes. They appeared to be...sad. guilty, even.

He gave a quick bow, and exited as sickly as he could.


	21. Hyrule Castle 2

**Hyrule** **Castle**

What is this?

She _wanted_ him to follow her.

Well, that's new.

Something about him…

Perhaps it was his eyes. Sad but beautiful. Or perhaps his soft, gentle voice. She was one of the few people he speaks to. That fact alone caused her heart to flutter.

Perhaps it was his selfless nature. He had already risked his life for her once. He listened to her pain, and had tried his best to ease it, even before she had even realized that he was doing it.

But no.

She couldn't.

She was expected to fall for someone of a higher class. A noble. Not a knight. Nobody would approve of these emotions for him.

 _Stop stop stop._

Stop _it stop it._

Just _stop feeling, just stop..._


	22. Mt Lanayru 2

**Mt. Lanayru**

The goddess statue simply smiled.

He stood in the water, still gazing up at the statue hopefully but sorrowfully. He knew that he wasn't going to get an answer.

He sighed before averting his eyes downwards towards his princess. She was still wrapped in his embrace, her face buried in the crook of his neck.

There never appeared to be an end to her flowing tears.

He tightened his hold around her and laid his face against the top of her head, breathing in her scent. He began to rub soothing circles along her back.

It felt like forever before the tears subsided, but they did. Still, the knight and his princess didn't move from their embrace.

Several minutes passed.

"Princess," he said softly. She slowly looked up at him with her tear-stained face.

"Princess…" he repeated. "I'm so sorry...but we must return to the others…"

She looked down to at her feet before allowing him to lead her to the edge of the spring. He climbed out first, then reached around her waist and lifted her from the water on to solid ground. He grabbed his cloak from his pouch, and wrapped it around her snugly. She looked up at his face, silently thanking him.

In response, he lifted his hand and cupped her cheek softly before letting it drop to her back.

Together, they silently began to make their way back down the mountain.


	23. Unknown Location 3

**Unknown** **Location**

That voice…

The voice of a woman…

Where had he heard it before?

So soft. So sad.

He also couldn't help but find some desperation hidden in her tone.

How he could detect it, he could not say. He had never heard this Voice before.

And yet…

He trusted it. He had felt afraid, terrified even, but then that Voice took most of the fear away.

 _"Wake up, Link."_

Link. That's what the Voice had called him. It must be his name.

Yes...Link. That sounded right.

But if the Voice knew his name, then…

He couldn't stop himself from whispering to the Voice.

"Who are you?"

Suddenly, a sadness came over him. One that was not his own. Perhaps it was what the Voice was feeling at that moment.

Other than that, no reply came.


	24. Hyrule Castle 3

**Hyrule Castle**

She was in her own zone. A place in her mind where she could just relax. A place where her burden of containing Calamity Ganon was lost, even if only for a few moments.

A place where she could watch over him.

He was trapped on that plateau. The same one he'd been sleeping on for the past 100 years.

It was as she suspected. And feared.

He couldn't remember.

Not her. Not even himself.

He didn't remember how she had once despised him. How he would follow her whether she wanted him to or not. How he saved her life from the Yiga. How they became closer than ever before afterwards. He had told her some of his darkest secrets. His concerns and fears. What made him sad. What made him silent. She, in turn, had opened up to him. He allowed her burdens to fall on him. He had done everything he could to make sure that she felt at least content. They had each other, and it was enough for both of them.

But it was gone now. He didn't remember any of it.

All gone.

It was all her fault.

If only she hadn't failed to save him that day. If only her powers had awakened any time before then. She could've stopped all of this. Calamity Ganon would be gone, the sages and her father would be alive, and he would be standing by her side… Like he always had been.

 _If only… If only._

She sniffed from her zone. She was watching him stumble around, learning how to kill Ganon's minions. Learning how to survive in the wild. It was more like relearning, actually. All of this he had done before.

Of course, he didn't know that.

But he had to. She must at least point him in the right direction.

Because Hyrule needed him. _She_ needed him.

 _"Link..."_

She watched him glance around, searching for the source of the noise.

 _"Link."_ She said slightly louder. He stopped moving as recognition crossed his features. This wasn't the first time she had addressed him, but he only knew her as the Voice in his head.

 _"Link."_ She said, firmly. She had his full attention now.

 _"Head to the point marked on the map of your Sheikah Slate."_

He hesitated before taking the strange device from his hip and gazing at the screen.

She sighed. How she wished that she didn't have to place this burden on him upon his awakening. He deserved time to wrap his head around everything. Time to think through his next move.

Time that they didn't have.

She could feel that her powers had weakened over the last century. Surely Ganon will break free at any moment. _He_ was their only hope of defeating it.

Why? Why couldn't the gods just give him a break?

It pained her to see him like this. So vital, but so oblivious.

 _Remember… try, try to remember…_


	25. Throne Room

**Throne** **Room**

Why?

Just, why?

All he did was enter the forest with the rest of the soldiers and managed to pull out a sword. And because of it, they decide to place him in the Imperial Guard and make him captain of the Princess's personal guard. Not only that: they wished to make him a champion.

 _The_ champion.

Four champions from the four different races of Hyrule had already been chosen: Revali, the best warrior and archer of the Rito. Daruk, the leader and strongest of the Gorons. Mipha, the princess of the Zora, who had the amazing ability to heal whomever whenever she pleases. Urbosa, the beautiful chief and warrior of the Gerudo.

And then there was himself. Link, the worthless mutt who just happened to be able to pick up a sword.

Why on earth did they think that this was a good idea?

His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when somebody to his right snapped their fingers in front of his face. He blinked and turned towards them.

It was his blademaster. The large man had taught him how to wield a sword. How to be a man. He never used very ideal techniques to teach, however.

He was the first before many to call the young man worthless. The blademaster had beaten him as a kid. Once, the authorities of the castle had forgotten to feed the soldiers. He was only a child at the time, but he was hungry, so he had snuck into the castle's kitchen for food, and stole an apple. Just a single apple. Some other large men had caught him with the apple, seized him, and dragged him to his blademaster.

The blademaster had had him whipped.

He still had three large scars on his back from that day several years ago. Lasting memories of the pain tortured him from that moment on.

Returning to the present, He stared at his blademaster, waiting for him to speak.

"Stay focused," he said. "Do not look up at the king, and do not speak until you say your oath, got it?"

He nodded.

"Good. And remember…" The blademaster leaned in. He could feel his hot breath on his face. "You are only our weapon. I don't care if you become captain. I don't care if you get named the Champion. You exist to kill. Nothing more. Got it?"

He nodded again.

"I said, got it?"

He gulped. "Yes, sir…"

He hated how weak his voice sounded.

"That's right. Now go in there, and don't mess up."

He gulped again just as the giant doors began to open. There was a carpet on the floor leading up to where the king sat, splitting the crowd in two.

Like a machine, he stiffly walked across the carpet before the king, never looking him in the eyes. He knelt, and bowed his head. He suddenly heard a bold, firm, but slightly older voice.

 _His Highness speaks..._

"Link of Hyrule, do you swear by the three golden goddesses that you will protect this land of Hyrule. That you will raise your sword against the forces of Ganon, and play your part as the Hylian Champion?"

He inhaled deeply before saying the oath that he had run through his head over and over for the past few weeks:

"I do swear, until the goddess relieves me, or death takes me."

"And do you, Link of Hyrule, swear to keep her highness, the Princess Zelda safe as she learns to awaken the power to seal away Ganon?"

His eyes widened. What? Protect the Princess? He had never been informed of this task…

But the king was waiting for him to speak.

So he did.

"...I do swear, until the goddess relieves me, or death takes me."

He was officially Princess Zelda's appointed knight.

 _Until death takes me…_


	26. Knights' Quarters 2

**Knights' Quarters**

He was laying face down on his bed, sobbing.

"Oh, shut up you," the harsh woman hovering above him said while beginning to apply alcohol to the fresh wounds.

It burned. He screamed.

"Shut up! It'll keep it from infecting!"

He obeyed, trying to keep his crying down as sniffles. He had been caught stealing an apple from the kitchens not too long ago. As a punishment, he had been given three lashings.

The authorities had forgotten to bring them lunch that day--It wasn't his fault he had been hungry!

So here he was, wounds being treated. Except it almost felt worse than the actual punishment.

The woman at last finished dressing his cuts and left without another word.

He remained lying down. It felt nice, after everything that had happened.

But he was still hungry…

He took a deep breath. This world hated him for some reason. He was only eleven years old, and yet they expect him to act like an adult. Nothing was ever going to be on his side. No one will ever understand…


	27. Kitchens 3

**Kitchens**

She grinned before asking him, "have you always been this much of a glutton?"

He immediately looked up from his food, his eyes wide and mouth full. He processed her words before swallowing quickly and sitting up.

She covered her mouth to keep from laughing, trying not to be rude, but this was a side of his that she had never seen before. It was so funny. She loved it.

Finally she let out a giggle.

He blinked at her, and she began to laugh harder.

"Forgive me," she breathed between laughter. "I've just never seen you eat like this before. And you're reaction…" she broke off.

He continued to watch her as the laughter died down.

She sighed, still smiling. "I've never known you to be so fond of food, Link. It's just very interesting whenever I learn something new about you."

He blinked once more before raising the corners of his lips.

She had never seen him smile before.

It was wonderful.

She grinned back in response, which caused his smile to brighten. He allowed a small chuckle.

She had never heard him laugh before, either. Perhaps she is finally managing to break him out of his shell.

She giggled in response to his chuckle. He laughed harder. So did she.

Neither could stop. They didn't even know what they were laughing at. But it just made her so happy to find her _knight_ so happy. It made her heart burst in ways that she had never dreamed it would.

Little to her knowledge, the silent knight was thinking the exact same thing.


	28. Central Hyrule 3

**Central Hyrule**

G…

Girl…

Girl.

A girl.

There was a girl.

There is a girl.

Who is she?

The memory began to fade.

"No…" he said to himself. "No no no, come back… I have to… to…"

 _Try to remember…_

That's what the Voice had told him to do. He wanted so much to follow the words, but he didn't know how to start.

Remember? Remember what?

The girl? Remember the girl?

But _how_?

He groaned loudly. This amnesia was driving him insane. He knew that he once had a past. One hundred years ago, he had been the Hylian Champion and the appointed knight of Princess Zelda herself.

At least, that's what he had been told. Any memory of it had vanished.

So annoying.

Who _is_ the girl?

Were the Voice and the girl connected, somehow?

At this rate, it'll be another hundred years before he finds an answer...


	29. Eldin Canyon

**Eldin Canyon**

"Daruk, have you seen Link?"

He had been gone for half an hour at least. He had excused himself, claiming that there was something that he had wanted to check. She had allowed him, trusting him to return within the next few minutes.

Of course, that had never happened.

Where in the world could he be?

The Chief of the Gorons didn't know, either. But he had told her it would be best to wait for his return. "I'm sure he's fine. He's a tough boulder, that kid is."

Wait here for him? Not a chance.

So when no one was watching, she sneaked out to search. After wandering for a few minutes, she heard a roar.

"...Link?" she headed in the direction of the sound before stopping at the edge of a steep incline of rocks. She gasped at what she found at the bottom.

Several bokoblins, moblins, and even lynels littered the ground, unmoving. There was one silver lynel still up and about. It appeared to be wounded, but clearly attacking something…

Her eyes widened once she found the monster's target.

 _Link_.

What in the world was he thinking!? Jumping into danger like this…

Afraid of distracting him from his battle, she anxiously waited for the fight to finish.

The lynel struck, but not before the knight flipped backwards in the air. Time seemed to slow as he locked his sights back onto his opponent. Then, with a speed that seemed inhuman, he lunged forwards, striking again and again several times before backing off.

"Whoa…" she couldn't stop herself from whispering. This was a new one on her.

The silver lynel growled a final time before collapsing with the rest of the creatures.

Her eyes fell back on the knight, who sighed and wiped his brow with the back of his hand.

"Link!"

His face shot upwards at the sound. She had started climbing down the rocks to reach him. He immediately began to run to help her.

"Don't you dare, Link. I'm coming over. Sit down while you're at it."

He was forced to stop and sit.

She reached him without problem and sat down in front of him, examining him. The blood on his right arm caught her attention.

She gasped before shifting to sit next to him and pulling his arm towards her. She felt him wince, but no other objection came from him. She pulled off the cloth wrapped around his arm and rolled up his sleeve just past the elbow.

She felt his eyes on her the whole time.

After further examination, she spoke.

"That cut doesn't look too bad, actually. You're fine for now." She looked him in the face. "But you know, there's a fine line between courage and recklessness." Her eyes were stern. "As brave as you are, that does not make you immortal."

She shifted her gaze towards the monster corpses. A sense of dread washed over her.

"It seems that, not only is the frequency of these types of attacks on the rise… but the scale of beasts we're facing is intensifying as well. I fear that… I fear that this is an omen which portends the return of Calamity Ganon."

She stood, brushing the dirt off her rear. Before looking down at him once more. "And," she continued "if that's the case, I'm ready to expect the worst. We'll need to make preparations as soon as possible."

She waited for the knight to get back to his feet before starting their walk back to camp.

If Ganon was coming, they needed to be ready.


	30. Central Hyrule 4

**Central Hyrule**

"May I ask… do you really remember me?"

He was covered in cuts and bruises, but he was still standing. The second battle with Ganon had gone exactly as planned.

He stared at her, processing her question.

 _Do I really remember her?_

He closed his eyes, and brought up some of the memories he had regained during the past few months. Yes, there she was. Hair as golden and eyes as green as ever.

They had fought with each other. She had shouted at him. He had saved her. She apologized, and they had been inseparable ever since.

Until that fateful day.

But they were reunited now. She stood before him now.

His eyes fluttered open. She still stood, waiting, almost anxiously, for an answer.

"Yes…" he whispered. "Yes," he repeated, slightly louder so that she would hear him. "I do…" his voice cracked. He swallowed. "I do remember…"

He watched her smile gradually turn into a grin.

 _"She has a smile like the sun."_

That was what the Great Deku Tree had told him. He couldn't have been more correct.

He sighed in relief and exhaustion. The century long battle has been won at last.

He suddenly felt warm arms wrap around him. He didn't have to look to know it was the princess.

He was so tired…

Before he realized what he was doing, He returned her embrace and let his face dig into the crook of her neck, feeling her copy his actions. He breathed in her scent… felt her heartbeat… so familiar… So relaxing…

He sank into her. He could tell that she was doing the same. They kneeled down on the grassy floor of a free Hyrule.

Free…

No more fighting…

So tired…

The Hero and the Princess, on their knees and in each other's arms, fell into a deep, peaceful sleep.


	31. Throne Room 2

**Throne Room**

It was too strong…

Ganon was just too strong.

He wiped an arm across his sweaty brow. Something wasn't right. The Champions… The Divine Beasts… they should have fired by now. Why have they been standing so motionlessly without making a single move against their foe.

What was _taking_ them so long?

Ganon roared in front of him. Champions or no Champions, he had to drive this beast back into the place where it was first sealed. Hyrule depended on it. Depended on _him_. Depended on…

He risked a glance over at his princess, who stood along the edge of the room where it was safer, if only slightly. Her power had not revealed itself at the Spring of Wisdom, but even now she frantically made last minute prayers, hoping that something would answer her.

He faced back towards the monster…

Just before it vanished in large wisps of black and pink.

He blinked before looking at her highness once more. She appeared just as confused as he.

Then it happened.

The roar of Calamity Ganon erupted from somewhere above the castle. Soon following the noise came the trumpet of an elephant from the east, the wine of a chameleon from the north, the cry if a camel from the southwest, and the screech of a bird from the west.

His princess suddenly gained a look of panic before running outdoors to investigate.

"Gah! Princess-wait!" He chased after her frantically. He reached the outer border of the throne room, and slid to a halt beside her.

His heart stopped.

The sky was blood red. Glowing embers swirled around where they stood.

The Divine Beasts…

They no longer glowed with the pure blue of peace and well-being. Now they were a bright, menacing pink. The beasts cried out once more. They were fighting something. The Champions inside them were fighting something.

Whatever battle they were fighting, they were also losing.

"No…" he heard her whisper from beside her.

No, indeed.

He tore his eyes from Vah Ruta to glance at the guardians below.

His heart stopped for a second time, and his breath hitched in his throat.

"Princess…" he found himself unable to raise his voice any higher than a whisper. She looked at him, and watched him simply point at whatever it was he wished for him to see…

The guardians were alive, but with the same, evil energy as the beasts.

And they were coming for the two of them.

"Link…" her voice rose in panic. She suddenly felt a very strong grip clasp her wrist and pull her away from the danger. She blindly let him lead her down the castle and onto the grassy floor of a Hyrule in chaos.

Chaos.

Her kingdom…

The Champions…

… Her father…

She allowed a sob to escape her lips before returning to reality. Her knight still dragged her by the wrist. They were heading into a wooded area now.

Suddenly, she slipped and fell.

She heard him skid to a stop, jog over to her, and slow down. The sound of metal in a scabbard soon followed. He didn't pick her back up again. Didn't frantically tell her to get moving. That the world would die without her. He simply kneeled.

And listened.

 _Oh, Link..._

"How… How did it come to this?"


	32. Training Grounds

**Training Grounds**

He struck over and over at an invisible enemy.

It's what he'd been doing for several hours every day for years.

And yet he never gained their approval.

He paused to wipe the sweat off his brow before glancing around. The field was empty, save for a few straw practice dummies and some random weapons littered across the grass.

He was alone.

Suddenly, he heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming towards him.

 _Oh no. What now?_

The footsteps stopped directly behind him. A voice spoke.

"What do you think you're doing?"

His blademaster. The last person he wished to speak to.

He decided to remain silent.

"No response? How rude."

He felt his hands clench into fists.

"I hope you realize that this training is getting you nowhere. You've already proven yourself a disgrace to the Hyrulian guard. You're too small. Too _weak_."

Still he remained silent. _Did you come out here only to mock me?_

"That Sword is never going choose you."

With that, the blademaster began to retreat.

The young soldier felt his patience explode inside of him. He turned to face the blademaster, chin lifted high.

"Has it ever occurred to you that I don't _want_ that Sword to choose me?"

The blademaster turned, surprise etched into his face. "No? You don't want to be the wielder of the Sword? That's why you joined this army!"

"I joined this army so I could _help!_ All of you knights and your wishes for glory and power… All I want is to be useful! And you have taken that away. I'm worthless. There's no point to my life. And it's all because of you."

With that, he turned on his heel, and left.


	33. Central Hyrule 5

**Central** **Hyrule**

This was nice.

Out in the snow all bundled up in her cozy winter gear. The chill reminded her of her younger years, when she would sit by the fire with a mug of hot chocolate. She would've recently finished a snowball fight with the sheikah children.

Of course, she had grown up since. All of her time had to be used to awaken her sealing powers.

So what was she doing out here, now? It was her knight's idea, actually. He had simply told her to dress in winter clothes before escorting her out here. How he had known how much she loved the snow was unknown to her, but she didn't care. It touched her heart to know that he was thinking of her.

She glanced over at him, where he stood calmly in his own thick coat. He was looking at her, and she could've sworn that she saw the ghost of a smile on his face. This caused her to grin.

He responded as he normally did: with a single blink.

She giggled before speaking. "Thank you, Link. It was very thoughtful of you to bring me out here."

He blinked again before nodding. You're welcome.

They began to walk.

After a few minutes, she looked over to find him simply staring straight in front of him. He appeared to have zoned out.

She turned away before getting an idea.

Grinning, she wandered over to her left and knelt, gathering snow in her arms.

This'll either be fun, awkward, or both.

After compacting the snow into a tight ball, she stood, aimed, and threw.

The snowball sailed in the air before colliding with the side of his face.

"Gah!" He winced, immediately reaching a hand towards the area where the snow hit. He stared at her, wide-eyed and confused.

She guffawed, and found that she couldn't stop. She had never dreamed that she would get the chance to see him like this.

He still stared with an incredulous look on his face. He didn't know what to think. This was the princess. Was she supposed to hit him with a snowball? Was she supposed to laugh in the manner that she did now? What would get father say if he had seen her like this?

… Did it really matter? It's not like anyone was here, watching…

She was still in the middle of laughing when she felt a stinging cold strike her directly on the face. The surprise sent her backwards a few steps. Her vision cleared to the sight of him still staring.

And grinning.

She gaped before falling on her knees and grabbing more snow. She watched him do the same in the corner of her eye.

She quickly chucked her freshly-made snowball at him and continued to make more.

He let out a single laugh as he hit the deck to avoid collision, crushing his own snowball beneath his weight. He cursed under his breath before starting a new ball and throwing it at her.

She let out a squeal before standing up and throwing another ball that hit him on the shoulder.

The fight continued.

Several minutes later, she had built a tiny wall to hide behind and to block her knight's attacks. It ended up being fruitless, as he had really good aim, and could simply toss a snowball right over the edge of the wall.

She groaned and he laughed.

She loved that laugh.

Suddenly, she grabbed a handful of snow, leaped over her wall, and ran straight towards him with a dramatic battle cry.

She heard him grunt in surprise before she was able to practically shove the snow in his face, knocking him into his back. She tripped instantly, landing directly on top of him.

Neither could stop laughing.

That had to be the most fun she had had in years. Even before he had become her appointed knight. She was so glad that he had thought to bring her out here.

Both of their laughing paused upon noticing how close their faces were. She blushed and gave a sheepish chuckle before pulling away from him and standing up, watching him do the same.

Oh, she never wanted to forget this day. What was the date again? The 25 of December?

She'll have to keep that in mind...


	34. Xtra

So, I'm not sure what this is, but i couldn't get it out of my head so i wrote it and decided to post it. so here ya go.

lemme know what you think in the comments!

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 _Link_ _...where are you?_

 _I'm_ _sorry, Princess. I'm not… Ready._

 _…But you've grown so strong… I've been waiting for_ you-

- _for_ _a century, I know. I'm so sorry. It's just…_

 _… just what?_

 _… I… I failed. I failed you one hundred years ago._

 _What_ _? Link, that's not true. You know it's not._

 _Of_ _course it's true. Zelda, I_ failed. Me. _The one born to defeat Ganon, the one who swore to protect Hyrule, the one who pulled up the Sword! And I failed…_

 _… Link…_

 _Zelda_ _, I mean it! What_ _if_ -

- _Link_ -

- _You_ _have been trapped in that castle! For one hundred years! You've suffered so much… so much… because of_ my _mistakes_ -

- _Link_ _, stop it!_ _If anyone failed, then it was me._

 _What_ _? Zelda…_

 _If_ _I had only awoken my power earlier-_

 _-Zelda…_

The _guardians wouldn't have been a problem. Ganon would be gone, and the Champions wouldn't be dead… you wouldn't have_ died…

 _Zelda_ _, don't you see? You_ saved _me._

 _But_ _I…_

 _Shh_ _, Zelda. You had so much upon your shoulders. Too much more than what should be allowed. And you came through. Look at you now. Fighting the Calamity. Alone. You're so strong, Zelda. Give yourself some credit._

 _… but…_

 _Please_ _don't cry. You've done everything you could. Urbosa said so herself._ _…_

 _I still failed everyone._

 _Then_ _we failed together_.

 _…... Link?_

 _Yes_ _, Zelda?_

 _I_ _miss you._

 _I_ _miss you, too. I'll get you out of there, I swear it. But I have a request for once this whole thing is over._

 _What_ _is it?_

 _Smile_ _for me._

 _… Gladly._


	35. Zelda's Bedroom

**Zelda's** **Bedroom**

She shivered, sitting on the edge of her bed.

Several hours had passed since her snowball fight with Link, and it was now night. A cold chill welcomed her upon opening the door to her room. She was too exhausted to light the fireplace, and her blankets felt like ice due to the freezing air.

Some company would be nice right now. A friend to stay here with her. She considered finding him, but she figured that he was just as tired as she. She didn't wish to be selfish and pull him from his time of relaxation.

But then there was a knock on her door.

"... Come in…" she called hesitantly.

The door opened to reveal the knight himself. Her eyes widened slightly upon seeing him.

He shut the door behind him, and simply stood, his soft gaze never leaving her form. She could tell that he was studying the way she hugged her arms close to her body. The way she trembled from the cold. He slowly approached her, and slower still, crouched directly in front of her. He hesitantly took her hands in his own.

 _So warm…_

She couldn't stop herself from gasping at the wonderful heat his hands gave off. He glanced back up at her face in concern.

"... Princess…"

His voice, like his hands, radiated heat. So quiet and gentle. So hauntingly beautiful…

When she said nothing, he spoke again in that soft voice before it fell to a whisper.

"... Princess… you… you're like… _ice_."

She didn't know how to reply besides sitting, staring, and shivering. She finally managed to tear her eyes away from him. She could feel his gaze linger on her face, still.

Suddenly, she felt herself being lifted off her bed, and carried across the room.

Her first thought was her attempt to process the fact the _he_ was the one carrying her. _He_ had lifted her into his arms.

Her second thought was how she hoped he would never let go.

His strong, protective, and warm arms were wrapped around her. It may have well been the best she had ever felt. She wanted to melt into him.

Her head naturally rested in the crook of his neck, her face buried into his comforting, heated flesh. Her hand automatically placed itself on his muscled chest.

 _Thump-thump… thump-thump…_

His heartbeat. She had never felt it until now.

Disappointingly, she found herself being placed gently on the sofa in front of her fireplace. The heat left her for a brief moment as he left to light a fire.

Soon enough, he returned to her and sat on the sofa, a short distance away from her. Not satisfied, she scooted over to him, and pressed into him as much as she could, savoring his beautiful heat. She could tell that her actions had startled him, but he wrapped his arms around her once again anyways. She sighed in pleasure.

After a few minutes, while she had started to fall asleep, she could've sworn she felt comforting fingers brush her hair behind her ear, and a pair of soft lips press gently near the corner of her eye.

It was the last she knew before a blissful sleep fell over her.

 _December 25_


	36. Knights' Quarters 3

Ok, I just wanted to say thank you all for your support! You're reviews really do make my day, and I love knowing that people love what I'm doing here. Please continue to leave your thoughts and favorite/follow! It means a lot to me. ;)

 **XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

 **Knights Quarters**

She knocked on the door to his quarters. Only a few seconds passed before he opened it for her.

"Oh!" She exclaimed quietly. He was wearing something new. A long tunic, colors of dark red and dark blue, the Hyrulian Crest embroidered on gold on the chest. Pure, white gloves cloaked his arms past the elbow. A pair of dark trousers were mostly covered by tall, white boots.

He blinked at her.

"Ah… Link," she said, looking at the uniform with curiosity. "What's this?" She traced the fabric on his shoulder with her fingers. He simply watched her hand travel down his arm before looking into her face. He shrugged.

She giggled at his response before speaking. "It looks like the uniform for the Royal Guard. I daresay, you look very nice."

He blushed and scratched the back of his head bashfully. She giggled again.

"You are missing something, however." She said before passing him and entering the room. She could feel his curious eyes on her back, and she couldn't help but smile to herself. She found what she was looking for laying on his thin mattress. She picked it up and turned on her heel to face him. She walked over to where he silently watched before taking her hand and brushing his fluffy bangs back to place the cap she had picked up onto his head. She gazed for a few seconds before straightening the cap.

He blinked and cocked his head at her. This made her grin.

"So, why did you decide to try this on, now?"

He shrugged. "My fellow soldiers insisted," he replied in his usual, quiet voice.

Her grin broadened. "Did they, now?" She snatched his gloved hand and started dragging him out of the room. "Then let's not keep them waiting."

He gulped, rolled his eyes, then let out a small, nervous laugh.

She took it as a victory reward.


	37. Hateno 2

**Hateno**

Some weeks have passed since the fall of Calamity Ganon. The century long war had finally been won, and the threat over.

He had offered to let her stay with him at the house he had bought at Hateno. It was a cozy little thing. Two stories, one bed, some flowers in vases, and pictures hung on the wall. She had imagined, and hoped, that she could just stay there forever. Live a simple life side by side with him.

The thought of staying with her knight appealed to her a great deal than she ever thought possible.

She was now on her way back to the house after speaking with the villagers and playing with the children. The sky was growing dark, and she looked forward to spending some time alone with him. He had stayed at the house to tidy up, so she knew she would find him there.

She opened the door, and glanced around the first floor, only to find it empty of any human presence. She climbed the stairs and saw him sitting on the edge of his bed. His clothes were loose like pajamas, and his hair was down past his shoulders, out of its usual ponytail. He held something that appeared to be a large picture frame, and was studying it closely. He appeared to be deep in thought.

His ear twitched at the sound of her approaching, and he glanced up at her.

"Forgive me," she said. "I've interrupted you."

He merely shrugged and said, "no harm done."

She couldn't help but shudder in delight, remembering how much she had longed to hear that gentle voice during the past century.

"Mind if I sit?"

He shrugged again and patted the seat next to him. She grinned and sat down, looking over his shoulder at the picture in his hands.

Her breath caught in her throat.

He eyed her, waiting for her to speak.

"I… Link, this is…"

She reached for it, and he handed it to her.

"The image Purah took of the Champions."

The photo contained one massive goron clumping a rito, a gerudo, a zora, and two hylians into a large group. The five Champions and the princess.

"... How did you come across this?" She looked at his face.

"A rito musician who claims to have been the apprentice of a sheikah bard who lived at the castle one hundred years ago gave it to me. Said that it only seemed right that I have it."

She was too tired to question who the sheikah bard was. She handed the frame back to him, and rested her head on his shoulder. She knew he wouldn't mind.

"That's wonderful. I'm glad it hasn't been lost after all these years." She grinned. "Now I can look at your stunned face in the image all I want."

"Hey," he mock scolded. "Nobody was prepared for Daruk to crush us all against each other. You look no better than me in that picture."

She let out a soft snort in amusement, and allowed her eyes to close. She unconsciously reached for his fluffy hair on the back of his head, and let her fingers run through the surprisingly silky strands.

Before falling asleep, she felt his strong arms wrap around her.


	38. Spring of Power

**Spring of Power**

A day had passed.

 _One whole day._

She had prayed and prayed and prayed. She had given up breakfast and lunch in favor of standing in the cold water of the spring, hands clasped together, eyes shut in concentration.

She had longed to feel something. _Anything_! But all she felt was the water and the chill in the air.

"Curse you," she had said, slamming her fists into the water.

He had offered her a hand to get her out of the water, and she had accepted it without looking him in the eye. He silently dried her and handed her new clothes.

They now sat mute by the fire he had kindled, watching the flames.

She yawned. He immediately got up, retrieved their bedrolls, and laid them on the ground. She was quick to lay down on hers, eager to get some sleep after her failure. He followed suit on his own bedroll.

Several minutes passed, but sleep evaded the both of them. So much yet so little had happened that day. And the night was uncomfortably cold.

She hesitated for another few minutes before standing once more and approaching where he lay. She laid down next to him.

He instinctively moved to give her room without complaint. Nothing about how improper it was. Nothing about he preferred privacy. She pressed as close to him as possible, her nose practically stuck in his chest. She felt his hand comfortingly move up and down her back.

And they slept.


	39. Zelda's Study 3

**Zelda's** **Study**

Where in all of Hyrule _was_ he?

She groaned as her head came to rest on her desk. For once, she was looking forward to spending time with him. It would be another opportunity to get him to speak freely. Another chance to hear that soft voice.

Well, it _would_ be if only he actually were to arrive…

Why wasn't her at her side? He _never_ abandoned his duties, even when she had wished for it with her whole heart.

The door suddenly opened behind her.

She spun in her seat to put a name to her visitor, before giving them an annoyed look.

"And where have you been?" She asked.

Of course he had finally decided to show up.

His eyes widened slightly before looking down in shame. She crossed her arms, raising an eyebrow.

"Well?" She spoke again.

He swallowed before approaching her, retrieving something from his travelers pouch. He held the item out to her.

She gasped slightly, gently taking the object out of her knight's grasp.

A beautiful Silent Princess.

She glanced back up at him in wonder. He merely shrugged, but his face shown with relief.

"Oh, thank you… This is wonderful." She smiled.

The corners of his mouth turned upwards.

Feeling triumphant, she carefully stuck the flower in her hair, and turned back towards her desk. She grasped into a small, simple box before facing the silent knight once again. She beckoned him closer and he obeyed, kneeling before her so their faces were on the same level. She held the box out to him, causing him to look at her in surprise. She giggled.

"Well, go on. Take it. It's for you."

He blinked. Gingerly, he grasped the box between his fingers and thumbs, and pulled the lid off. His eyes widened, before making eye contact with the princess, silently asking questions. She wore a soft smile.

"I've been informed by your fellow soldiers that you know how to play." Was her only explanation.

He blinked again, pulling the object out of its box. A beautiful blue ocarina that he now cradled gently in his palm. He looked at her once more, a mysterious glint in his eye. One that suggested the resurfacing of past memories. Good memories.

"... Thank you, Princess," He said, hesitantly.

She shook her head. "It's Zelda."

He blinked a third time before smiling gently but warmly.

"Thank you, Zelda."

 **Happy Valentine's Day peeps! :)**


End file.
